Despondent Happenings, Pleasant Surprises
by overcaffeinated-irony
Summary: In which Tina Belcher gets into an accident when rescuing a small child from being hit by a car. Rated T because I'm paranoid. Mild language and themes, I suppose. Tina-centric, story is much better than description. Also, reading the Author's Note is recommended. Come, give it a read!
1. The Accident

Chapter One: The Accident

The afternoon was enjoyable; that much was certain. The air wasn't quite thick, yet it still held that summer warmth that only June and July can really grasp and a subtle, comfortable breeze lingered through the air, gently singing through the trees and moving Tina Belcher's inky black tresses into her face. She casually brushed them away as her gaze lingered out of the window in the Belcher's restaurant, Bob's Burgers. A sigh passed between her lips longingly _. I love seeing Jimmy Jr dance as he mops the floor_ , she thought, cheek resting against her palm. Across the street, at the Pesto Pizzeria, Jimmy Jr had his large black and red headphones over his ears as he swayed his hips side to side, most likely going in time with the music that no one else could hear but him.

Tina watched as he leaned back, tossing the mop behind him then spinning to catch it, holding it high in the air for only a short moment before he put it down once more to clean the floor. Miniscule gusts of wind wafted into the restaurant from the open door, tinkling Tina's face. She crinkled her nose but didn't take her eyes away from her own personal Jimmy show, complete with his upmost obliviousness. She was now a fifteen year old girl, and in two years their relationship has indeed blossomed, if only slightly. They went from acquaintances to supposed friends, and now they really were friends who actually conversed casually every now and again and even texted, though it wasn't terribly often because Tina refused to be the first to send a text.

It started with her researching dating tips online. Now that she was really beginning to connect with Jimmy Jr, she figured she needed to start making some actual moves. One of the tips-number seven to be exact-stated, "Make dates spontaneously. Text, "I'm craving a McFlurry! Drop what you're doin and hit the drive-thru with me? :)". Now that she could text him, she figured it was the perfect time. As she began writing said message, though, she freaked. This could mean an actual date. He'll say no. He'll be busy and I'll look like an idiot! No, wait, Tina. You can do this. It's just one stupid text.

She attempted to cheer herself on with a mantra of sorts, until finally she felt confident enough to send the text, as long as she did so quickly. In her rush to type and anxious nerves it ended up instead saying, "I'm craving a drive so drop your McFlurry and do it :)".

She hadn't even realized what it had said until she got a reply from him, saying, "Tina neither one of us can drive and I don't have a McFlurry". Needless to say, she was pretty devastated.

Since that day she has so solemnly vowed to herself that she would wait for him to text first. Also, it showed if he wanted to in the first place. Every time her phone buzzed now her heart leapt into her throat, hoping it was from Jimmy Jr. Occasionally it is, but most of the time it's Zeke. She doesn't mind Zeke-in fact, he's a pretty nice guy once you get past his juvenile antics and strange odor-but he's certainly no Jimmy Pesto Jr. Come to think of it, the southern male texts her often. It has even got to the point where she's come to expect it-every buzz or ding her phones makes, she figures it's Zeke.

As she continued staring at Jimmy Jr and his fluent, sporadic dance moves that did funny things to her chest she felt a pair of hands grip tightly onto her shoulders. She gasped and stumbled from her place on the barstool, breaking her trance from the lovely gingers dance moves.

"Louise," she groaned, looking at the ten year olds grinning face and eager eyes, pink bunny hat still residing happily upon her head. Her younger sibling smiled from ear to ear, Gene coming up behind her, now thirteen. "What do you want? I was… uuuh…" As she racked her brain for an appropriate answer Louise cut her off.

"Staring at your boyfriend, I know." Before Tina could say that he wasn't-sadly-her boyfriend, Louise continued, "But this is summer vacation! You can't just sit around all day making goo-goo eyes at him. You need to… have fun!"

"But making goo-goo eyes at Jimmy Jr is fun."

"No matter!" The younger girl interjected, shaking her head, bunny ears bouncing. "It's not fun for us. And we need to do something… as a family." She took Tina's hands and began blinking her long eyelashes, lower lip extending outwards.

"Yeah!" Gene agreed, pumping his fist into the air, "Family time is fun time!"

"But don't let Mom hear you say, "family time". She'll try to tag along." At that all three Belcher's nodded, and Tina looked over, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

"What's in it for you, Louise?" She asked, trying to raise just one eyebrow to look cool and realizing she's unable, so instead raising both eyebrows and looking kind of like a surprised animal.

Louise looked aghast. "Wha-in it for… what?" She appeared flabbergasted, placing a hand on her heart, jaw hanging slack. "Nothing!" Tina just looked at her in disbelief, Gene playing some kind of different tune on his keyboard. Finally, under the teenager's hard eyes she frowned, shoulders slumping. "Alright," she caved, rolling her shoulder blades back, "I'm really bored and I figured I'd hang out with you two since everyone else sucks. I mean, you both suck too, but on a different, lower level of lame."

"Aw, Louise," Tina stated, patting her head, "I think that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."

"Whatever." She griped, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Tina tested her older, blue bike by pressing down on it slightly, seeing how the tires bounced. "Are you sure?" She inquired, still inspecting the bike. "We haven't ridden these for a while. They could fall apart right under us, then where would we be?"

"The hospital!" Gene helped.

"The hospital." Tina concurred.

"Guys, c'mon," Louise rolled her eyes as she sat on her own bike, a pink one. "Have I ever steered you wrong?" The other Belcher's shared a look of discomfort. Louise scoffed and fingered the handle bars, not meeting their judgmental gazes. "Okay, fair enough. But it's just a simple bike race-and if these bikes have held up this long, they can go an extra five, maybe ten minutes." Tina danced around the idea, and Louise did make a valid point. So what if they hadn't ridden in a few years? You never forget how to ride a bike, and since they held really strong back then, if anything they should be just as strong, since they've not been in use.

"If this is such a great idea, then why aren't we telling Mom and Dad?" Tina inquired, lifting a dark brow at her scheming younger sister.

Louise didn't skip a beat as she answered her sister's question, "Because they're parents, and they worry a lot. This is a good idea and everything is going to be fine, but if we told them and made a rational, logical argument they would still say no because they're parents. Duh, Tina-and I thought you were the oldest." Her face flushed softly. Louise was right; she's the oldest, so she should know these things. Duh, Tina.

* * *

After everything was settled, they lined up their bikes-pink, yellow, blue-and set up to race. As Tina adjusted herself on the bike, getting the familiar feel of the seat once more, she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eyes, in the road beside them. She turned to look, and the sight before her made her heart stop for two whole beats. There was a child-Mort's cousin who's come to visit him-barely two years old, stumbling into the middle of the road after a bright orange ball. Mort was inside, quickly talking to an obviously upset client, both of their mouths moving hurriedly.

But that wasn't the worst of the situation. As the child moved one step closer, the ball seemed to roll two steps back. The kid reached out its small, chubby arm to grab at the ball, but it was no use. Still, he kept trying, and didn't stop trying even as a truck started to drive up, not seeing the small figure below. Tina's stomach clenched, but she didn't even attempt to think. Didn't have time to think. She stumbled, not so gracefully, off of her bicycle and into the road. Time seemed to go by in slow motion, and she was aware of the distant ringing in her ears, tuning out all other noise. Maybe it was the adrenaline or her overactive thoughts all thinking at once, blocking out the other voices and mentally talking over one another.

In one big swoop she grabbed the ball in one arm and the little child in the other. The truck was getting closer and closer by each passing second, and for an instant she thought she heard a honk, but she still had a job to do. Her limbs moving without her mind telling them what to do she tried getting them to the concrete but stumbled once more, tripping over her own feet. Mort's little cousin fell from her arms, but landed safely on his side only a few inches from the sidewalk. He swayed over, and giggled, hugging his orange ball to his chest. For Tina, though, there wasn't enough time to reach the safety from her position in the road.

Time was going so slow before, but as the vehicle came closer and closer it went all too fast. Tina didn't hear her siblings scream her name, nor Jimmy Jr screech in surprised horror when he ran outside as the front bumper of the car hit her head on. She felt the impact, heard a sickening crack, and then before she knew it everything went black.

 **A.N. Okay, so, I think the first few chapters will be kind of short, if only because I wrote this as all one big, long story and I wasn't even going to post it here, but a friend of mine insisted. I only have the story partially written so far, and as of right now I have no idea how many chapters I'll be able to post before actually writing more.**

 **I don't even know where this idea came from. It just kind of… happened. I was brainstorming Jimmy Jr. and Tina ideas I think and the idea of him visiting her at a hospital happened and the thought just kind of took its own shape and form. The first few chapters will pick up right as the last one let off, since, like I said, I was just writing it as one story, not splitting it up. Which is kind of dumb on my part but, what can you do?**

 **Any way, if you have any questions then please, feel free to ask. I got into Bob's Burgers to help with my anxiety of being away from family members for long periods of time, and that's why I'm on this side of FanFiction. It's a funny show and though this story is on the darker side of it, it's still super fun to write. Please, R &R, it lets me know people are reading and enjoying the story! **


	2. What's the News?

Chapter Two: What's the News?

"Tina!"

Louise cried, putting shaky hands over her mouth. She couldn't get the image out of her head-Tina throwing her bike behind her and running into the oncoming traffic, saving the kid, then not even having time to glance up as the truck hit her, her body slamming into the front then rolling to the ground like a ragdoll. Heat stung behind her eyes, and for once she did nothing to stop the flow of tears. Gene just stared, his body rigid, for once having nothing to say. His heart couldn't decide whether to stop beating or beat too fast.

"M…M…MOM! Dad!" Louise screamed, her cheeks now damp with salty tears refusing to cease their constant fall. The truck had stopped and the driver was leaning over Tina, horror lining his burly features. Louise wanted to believe this wasn't real, that this hadn't actually happened… and she wanted to believe that it wasn't completely her fault. But it was. She was the one that made Tina get outside and onto the bike, this was all her idea. And why? Simply because she was bored. Her stomach churned and she was suddenly worried of throwing up on the sidewalk. She had to tell her parents. But, God, what would they say? She knew for sure Linda would flip. Bob, too, would freak out, but more internally. It had to be done, though.

"G-Gene," she stammered, closing her eyes to try and think straight without the wild commotion of everything going on in her brain, "get Mom and Dad."

"But… Tina… is she okay? Like… alive? I-"

"Gene! Get Mom and Dad-NOW."

Gene's bottom lip quivered but he ran inside and up the stairs where his parents were. They had gone out almost the whole evening the night before, so today was their "recuperation" day, but they were about to have a very crude awakening from their relaxation. "Oh my God…" Louise murmured as she slid down to the ground, resting on her knees. A shadow fell over her and she looked up, tears dripping from her chin.

"Excuse me?" A deep voice asked, face as white as the few clouds still struggling to hang overhead. "That little girl-she just came out of nowhere, I couldn't think to stop in time, so I… are you related to her? Her sister, maybe?" After he didn't receive an answer, he groaned, face reddening. "Where are your parents?" Louise still didn't answer. She didn't move. Not even when Bob and Linda came outside. Not even when Linda screamed as loud as she possibly could.

Not even when they all rushed over to Tina, Linda cuddling her to her chest and sputtering, "My baby, my Tina, oh God, Bobby" over and over and over again.

* * *

There's a phrase that is often used, "you don't know what you have until it's gone". It is used so frequently because it is one of the truest statements ever spoken. Jimmy Jr has been friends with Tina since forever, it seemed, and he's always liked her enough. Especially since they're friendship has begun to grow, and Jimmy couldn't deny that there were feelings lingering here and there that suggested he'd enjoy being something more, but he figured that would ruin their friendship, which was growing stronger each and every day.

Still, he didn't realize just how much he truly cared for the eldest Belcher kid until she was almost ripped away too soon from existence. He thought he heard word of her having a pulse, but there was so much blood, and her leg was twisted at that impossible angle… he quickly ran behind his father's restaurant and puked, leaning one hand against the building for support. Jimmy began to pant and he righted himself, his legs turning to jelly. It didn't help his queasiness that shortly after he had hollered in terror at seeing Tina hit by a fucking car, his younger brothers, Andy and Ollie, came out and just started screaming nonsense, yelling, "Tina's dead, Tina's dead, Tina's dead!"

There was an ambulance already there, the nurses having to tear Tina away from a sobbing Linda. She was on the gurney, being put into the back of the ambulance. A doctor was talking to Bob and Linda, probably saying how they could follow the medical vehicle because after their discussion they all piled into their own car. Damn, he needed to text Zeke right away and tell him what happened, what he just witnessed. He stumbled inside, the image of seeing Tina's limp body getting slammed by that truck a horrible, repetitive slideshow in his brain. He wouldn't be able to sleep for weeks.

* * *

"She was trying to save the kid-Mort's cousin or whatever-because otherwise the car was going to hit him, and he's only, like, two, and I think she tried to move but it went by so fast, one moment we were just going to ride our bikes and then she was gone and I know she's not dead but what kind of injuries did she get, I mean, because I'm pretty sure her leg was broken and I saw scratches but it was weird because all the b-blood kind of got mixed together and I just-"

"Gene!" Louise cut him off, her face contorting with anger, frustration and a deep sadness. "Just shut up about it, okay? We were all there, we all know! So stop talking about it! Damn." Louise and Gene sat in the back of the car, each one facing a window, leaving an empty space in the middle where Tina usually sits. It was a silent agreement they both had as they entered the car.

Their parents, of course, were up front, Bob driving and Linda in the passenger seat.

"Louise," Linda started, having calmed down since she first saw the accident, "don't bark at your brother. We're all on edge about this, but the nice doctor said she would live and most likely be fine, but they had to get her into the hospital right away. We're following them now and we'll get answers when we're there. But for now it's best to just…try and… relax…" A sob caught in her throat before she could finish her sentence. She stopped talking and instead went to study the outside world from her window.

Bob continued driving, looking nowhere but straight ahead. "Tina will be fine." Was all that he said, following the ambulance that had all its bright lights turned on and its siren wailing for everyone to hear. He couldn't help but wonder what they were doing to his baby girl-she was his first kid, his oldest, his Tina, and for this sort of accident to occur was the worst thing he thought he was every going to have to face. But he is the dad, the man of the house, and he had to attempt to remain strong, but it was not an easy façade. When he walked outside and heard all those sirens, saw all the cars and the people… and then Tina, looking so small on the gravel road as an EMT held up her head, felt at her wrist to make sure she was still alive… he wanted to be the one screaming. If he could take her place he would in a heartbeat. In half a heartbeat. He was her dad for Christ's sake, and he loved her very much, just as a dad should.

"Bobby…" Linda whispered under her breath just loud enough for only those in the front seat to hear. He stopped and realized his knuckles were tightening around the steering wheel so hard they had started to turn white. He said nothing as his wife placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and continued to mutter, "I'm worried about her too, Bob. We all are. But just remember that those men helping her said she would be fine, as long as they got her to the hospital, and just look at how fast they're going." She gestured with her hand to the vehicle speeding way ahead of them.

"Our little girl is in good hands. Could've been a lot worse."

"I'm going to hunt down the asshole that hit her and beat his face into the ground." He said through clenched teeth, hoping his other two kids didn't hear, or just weren't listening. He expected Linda to shake her head and say how it was just an accident and being vindictive won't solve anything, but she didn't. In fact, she didn't say a word, as if she was mulling over the possibility.

They drove for what seemed like hours until; finally, they reached the hospital. The ambulance went immediately into the emergency exit and as their car tried to as well they were motioned to the parking area.

"That's bullshit." Bob swore but did as he was told, just wanting to see his little girl as soon as humanly possible. They found a parking spot and soon enough they were out of the car and practically running into the hospitals main lobby. "I'll take care of this," Bob said as he headed towards the front desk, "Lin, watch over the kids, make sure they don't break anything. I'll get this whole thing settled, alright?"

Linda, Louise and Gene all nodded and walked to the waiting area where lush couches and chairs remained, but all the comfortable upholstery in the world couldn't make the Belcher's any happier about the situation at hand. A few minutes passed with everyone fidgeting and not meeting each other's glances when Bob came up, a hard look on his face. Linda jumped to her feet, questioning, "Bobby! Where is she? Is she alright? When can we see her?" Bob rubbed the back of his neck and wondered if maybe he should sit down, but figured he'd be too much of a nervous wreck and squirm the entire time, so he continued standing.

"She's in the ICU." Linda put a hand over her mouth, but Bob continued, hands up to show that they needn't worry, "But the lady at the desk said she's only scheduled to be in there for one day, so my guess is she just needs to be under surveillance for a bit." A gust of sighed air fell over the hushed room, signaling that they had all been holding their breath, waiting for the news. Linda gnawed on her bottom lip before asking in a flourish, "When can we see her?"

At that, Bob gave pause. "She… a doctor is supposed to meet with us, sometime. Er, a nurse, actually, while the doctor does… whatever he's going to do, I guess." He shrugged then, looking utterly defeated. "That's all I know." Linda nodded, but there was no apparent relief on her face as she sank back down into her seat. Still, she said, "Ya' here that, kids? She's fine. She's alive, for sure."

Maybe so, Louise thought bitterly, still blaming herself for the ordeal, but there are a lot of things worse than death. What if she's a vegetable, or in a coma, or has to have some kind of surgery, or an organ transplant? Dammit, I never should have made her come outside; she was perfectly content daydreaming about Jimmy Pesticide Jr.

Bob still decided not to sit. Instead he was pacing back and forth, a hand rubbing at his jaw every now and again. Five minutes went by. Then ten minutes, fifteen minutes. Twenty-five minutes. Thirty minutes. As the thirty-five minute mark came by a very kind, but tired, looking woman came forth with a clipboard in hand. "Belcher family?" Everyone stood up, now on high alert after almost an hour of waiting "patiently" for news on Tina. She walked over, brown pieces of hair falling from her messy bun. She looked down at the clipboard then back at the Belchers, smiling. "You're the family of Tina Belcher, aren't you?"

"Yes, yes, please, tell me all that you can about my baby." Linda cried, leaning against her husband for both mental and physical support. The nurse nodded and quickly looked back down at her clipboard, then back up at the almost hysterical family before her.

"First of all, I'd like you to know that she is stable and suffered minor injuries compared to what could have happened. We get some car wreck victims and their faces are mangled or they lose a limb." As the families faces began to fall she quickly backpedaled, "But don't worry. Tina got off easy-it seems like she was nearer the edge of the road than right in the middle, so the truck wasn't able to hit her dead center.

"That having been said, she does suffer a broken leg and a few minor head injuries. Tina also lost a lot of blood, but we have an IV in her now. Brain scans say she shouldn't have any sort of TBI-such as blood clots or swelling, and also no concussion. Not to mention she was calling out names, so that tells the doctor and I that she recalls names, which means she remembers faces, which means she remembers people, and that means she should not suffer from any memory loss, either." The nurse once again looked at her clipboard and said, "Mom, Dad, Louise, Gene… and Jimmy. She was asking for those individuals."

No one said a word about her mentioning Jimmy. Instead, Linda said, voice wavering, "When can we see her?" The nurse smiled sweetly and put the clipboard down against her legs.

"She just woke up a little bit ago; which is why I came to get you all. Now, please be cautious because she is heavily medicated on pain killers and is still disorientated by the entire thing, but you all may see her for a few minutes, at least just to say hello. We need to keep her under surveillance for a few days, though-no more than three to five days, unless something arises. But I highly doubt it will."

The nurse turned her back to the family and gestured with her arm for them to follow. It was time to see Tina, their daughter, their big sister, after all of this time.

 **A.N. I'd just like to say that I'm really sorry if the characters… I don't know, personalities and their quirkiness isn't quite depicted well in this story. Even though this is on the darker side of the fandom, the characters should still be, well, themselves. So I do apologize if any character seems off in any way.**

 **I hope you're all enjoying the story so far, I've been working pretty hard on it. I don't really know what to say, other than I hope you all are having a good day. Please R &R so I know people are reading, it encourages me to keep writing! **


	3. Seeing Tina or Boy Talks

Chapter Three: Seeing Tina or Boy Talks

When finally Tina awoke, there was a sledgehammer banging against her head and someone was ripping the skin away from her leg and lightening it on fire, piece by piece. Not to mention the giant's weight that squeezed and smothered her every limb, every inch of her skin. At least, that's what it felt like. She groaned outwardly, but instead of the somewhat loud, monotonous tone it usually held it was soft and broke here and there, falling short as more of a gasp.

Her eyes wouldn't open; they were made from lead. To be honest, she didn't want to open them. There was a horrible migraine threatening to crack open her skull and the bright fluorescent lights shining on her eyelids wouldn't help it. What had happened? Why did she feel so terrible? Tina squirmed a bit above the peculiar bed, the mattress much too soft and smooth. Where was she? Resigning to lean back and sigh, she thought back to today's earlier events. Getting up. Getting dressed. Watching Jimmy Jr. Going outside to bike race. Seeing the child in the road. Knowing she needed to save him-he was only two-if she just stood by and watched she would never forgive herself.

So, Tina did what she thought anyone else would do. She ran to save the kid and tried to get out of the way, but by that time it was too late. That truck, it was upon her so fast she didn't have time to think. In that case… wow, she must have gotten hit. And now she was in the hospital. How ironic, she thought as pain ripped through her temple, Gene and I were just talking about hospitals earlier. Now I'm in one. The ends of her mouth turned upwards, just barely. A few minutes passed and she felt the pressure against her eyes lessen until she felt comfortable to open them. Just as she suspected she was in a hospital room, every color either white or silver.

Tina tried drinking in her surroundings so she would one day, hopefully soon, be able to recall it in a Friend Fiction, perhaps one of the less erotic ones.

 _As she glanced about the white walls and ceilings and floors, feeling trapped, as if in some kind of mental institution he came swooshing in, eyes filling with unshed tears and face a mask of suspended concern. "Tina," he choked, hands trailing over her scratched and bruised face, thumbs kissing her cheeks, "Tina, my love, what have you done? Don't you know that you could have killed yourself? Then where would I be?" He began to sob then, gut wrenching sounds at seeing his loved one so maimed. "Your butt… is your butt okay?"_

No, she decided. It would still be erotic. Nothing better than making sweet love while in the hospital and having the heart monitor going crazy. Well, she presumed nothing was better, anyway. There was no way for her to know for sure, though, since she's never done it, which is a real damn shame in her honest opinion. As Tina drifted in and out of a conscious state she didn't even take notice to the footsteps approaching her door, nor the sound of a door creaking open. She only really responded when she heard her name.

It was a woman, saying something like, "Hiya, Tina. You have some people here to see you. Is that okay?" She blinked groggily, her vision blurred. She didn't answer the woman's question for she was too busy studying the needle in her arm and the big, white cast that didn't allow her right foot to move. Her eyes wouldn't focus well enough to get a good look at it, but even in this poor state of mind she rationed it was broken. Greeeeeeat.

"Tina, honey!" The familiar voice brought Tina out of her stupor and her mind perked. Soon enough arms were around her, squeezing her tightly. Normally these sorts of hugs from her mom were silently adored and longed for, but now all she wanted to do was shove the woman away. Her tight embrace shot rockets of pain up and down her very being and she yelped, grimacing in her mother's arms. Linda, realizing her excitement must have been too rushed, quickly pulled away but stayed close to her side. Tina moaned, spiraling back into an abyss of discomfort, bordering along agony.

"Damn," a younger, male voice said, and as Tina squinted she made out a round, yellow figure. Gene. "That leg really is broken! Oooh, let me sign it, let me sign it!"

"Gene," Bob chided, "not yet."

"But it's huge! Can I have the cast when you're out of it?"

"Gene!"

"What? It's a good question!"

"Oh, honey," Lin continued to coo, holding onto Tina's hand tightly, minding the O2 Sensor hanging on her finger. "What you did today-saving Mort's cousin like that, a kid you didn't even really know-oh, it was the work of a real hero!" Her eyes glistened with tears, but the world was still difficult for Tina to make out. She kept blinking, trying to make things come into focus. Why couldn't she? It was as if… duh, Tina!

"Mom?" She asked, which took almost all of her strength. Her mom looked down at her, blue eyes shimmering with joy. "Yes, Sweetie?"

"Where are my glasses?" Linda stopped. That explained why everything was so distorted and fuzzy; she didn't have her glasses on. She hoped the impact didn't break them. Well, an earpiece breaking off was fine, but if the lenses were scratched she was so screwed. Without them she was as well off as she would be with her eyes closed.

"I'm not sure." Linda said after a moment. "I'll ask the nurse when we leave, okay?"

Tina tried to nod, but it hurt too much. "Is Jimmy Jr here?" she blurted, the pain killers letting her mind believe it's okay to say anything. "He's not here, is he? I didn't think he would be. I saw, though. I saw him saw-er, saw him see, I mean." Linda giggled softly at her daughters sputtering, trailing a loving hand down her face.

"I'm sure he'll come visit you real soon." She turned around at Bob, Gene, and Louise, who were all staring at Tina, just happy she's alive. "Louise, honey, do you want to say anything to your sister? We can't stay too much longer, I bet. Tina needs her rest, poor thing."

Louise just shook her head, arms crossed. She knew if she talked her voice would break, and she didn't dare let anyone hear her show a sign of weakness, not even to an ill family member. Seeing Tina so banged up-and knowing it's her fault-put a hard rock in her stomach that she couldn't diminish. Linda sighed but looked back to Tina, caressing her bruised cheek. It looked like she had a boxing match and lost, and anyone could tell that she would be off of that leg for a while, and right in the beginning of summer, too.

"Excuse me," the nurse said softly, clearing her throat, "but I think it would be best now if we left Tina alone so she could get some rest-but you can visit her tomorrow, and the day after that, and soon enough she'll be back at home." Linda nodded but waited to take her hand away from her babies face. It hurt, as a mother, to see her child in so much pain, with needles and IV's and everything else sticking in her arms, and there was a large, white bandage placed over the left side of her forehead.

"Tina?" Linda asked when she noticed her daughter's eyes-now shimmering with a fatigued, soft blue color-seemed so much smaller, so much brighter without those hulking black frames to hide them.

"Everybody say goodbye." Lin instructed, placing a kiss against the injured girls cheek. The other three family members did as they were told, Bob leaning down to give her a small, reassuring hug and tell her that he loves her, Gene poking at Tina's toes that protruded from her cast, and Louise who gave Tina's hand a quick squeeze before following everyone else out the door.

"I'm sorry." She whispered under her breath, hoping that though it was barely loud enough for herself even to hear, that Tina would. "I'm so sorry."

* * *

"A truck? Ain't no way, J-Ju; this is Tina we're talkin' about!" Zeke sputtered, disbelief pouring from every line of his face. Jimmy Jr sat across from him at a table in his father's restaurant, his stomach in so many knots that he couldn't force himself to even want to drink the Coke in front of him. He just gazed down inside the can containing the sugary liquid, unable to look up and meet his friend's skeptical expression.

"It's true," he croaked, just now realizing how gravelly and dry his voice sounded. "I saw it, Zeke! I saw her… she just ran out there and grabbed the kid, I-I don't even know who he was. But-But then she dropped him, but he was close enough to the other side… she wasn't…" He trailed off, unable to continue.

Jimmy put his head in his hands, willing the wetness beginning in the corners of his eyes to cease. His gut felt as if he was the one hit by the truck, repeating the image over and over again in his mind of her getting hit, the look of surprise not even fully in her wide eyes-the truck just came out too fast. There were still lingering policemen out front, but traffic had picked up once more. Jimmy leaned back in his seat and put his arms over his stomach, worried he might have to go to the bathroom and throw up as he did moments after the incident occurred. He always knew he cared about her-knew he cared about her maybe more than he'd originally wish to admit-but… now, wondering for multiple seconds if the girl was even alive, he knew that if she was ever ripped away from him, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. He anxiously rubbed his eyes and pulled away a damp fist.

"That's crazy… ya know that'll be all over the papers, right?" Zeke's southern accent questioned as he sipped from his own soda.

Jimmy just nodded, taking deep, slow breaths in his nose and out of his mouth, trying to regain whatever composure he had left. "Yeah," he said, though it came out more of a shuddered whisper, "the press will be all over that." Zeke nodded, looking out the window, his own stomach clenching and unclenching. He looked back at his friend, but the ginger just sat in his seat, looking down, appearing as if he could run to the bathroom at any time.

Zeke felt bad for him-he's his J-Ju, after all-but he couldn't get the thought of Tina out of his mind. This was normal, considering he's had the biggest crush on her for as long as he could remember, ever since he saw her fumble for her words in elementary school trying to ask a simple question, ever since she dropped her lunch tray in the school cafeteria in middle school and a lot of people laughed, but he and Jimmy didn't. He wanted to go over and help, but he promised himself he wouldn't give Jimmy any chance to suspect that Zeke was thinking about his girl. Even if Tina wasn't exactly his girl, she was. It was an unspoken understanding between the two-maybe more understood by Zeke than Jimmy, actually.

Jimmy's not the guy to really speak his emotions and feelings; he'd rather dance them out. But when he doesn't, when he lets you in for just a meager second, many people don't even realize it because they don't know Jimmy Jr well enough to tell when he has begun to open up, if only slightly, but Zeke always notices. Hell, he should, they've been best friends since kindergarten. But if Tina even mentioned another guy, or if Jimmy thought she was looking at another guy during lunch, he'd complain and allow the jealousy to just ooze from his very being. Perhaps he didn't realize that he did such a thing; that he allowed it to show just how jealous he is, how protective he is over Tina, but Zeke always notices.

They've had conversations before, discussing Tina. Once they really got into it, sitting on the beach, Zeke with his legs sprawled and Jimmy with them pulled up to his chest, obviously uncomfortable about the conversation. They sat in front of the ocean, the waves rolling up, just out of touch, and then rolling away once more, repeating the endless cycle.

"You like 'er, don't you?" Zeke finally asked, craning his neck to see his friend.

Jimmy buried his face in his knees, but Zeke noticed how his ears had turned a pink color. "No, Zeke, I don't!" he barked, tone muffled. "Why would I? We're just friends… closer friends… but that's whatever because even if we did get together, what would happen if we fought? Broke up? It'd make things awkward and what if after that happens she doesn't even want to be friends anymore? Then the whole thing-our whole thing-it would… just be ruined!"

He angrily swiped at the sand beneath him, chest puffing. Zeke looked away, figuring J-Ju needed some time to just sit and think without the southern boy staring a hole in the back of his head.

"I hear y'all have kissed before." He said after a moment, figuratively walking on hot coals, "how did that feel? I mean, could ya imagine yourself with her, kissin' her, forever?"

"Zeke!" He screamed suddenly, standing up on legs that shook, as if they were unable to support his weight. His back was turned and his pale hands were balled into tight, angry fists. "It doesn't matter, okay?" Jimmy was yelling now, still not looking at Zeke. "So, just shut up about it! Kissing doesn't mean anything, I… it was… whatever." With that he bolted, running much farther and much faster than Zeke could.

It was an entire two days before Jimmy gave Zeke a text apologizing about his behavior, but Zeke wasn't mad. He thought maybe he was a little pushy, but he was only trying to help Jimmy figure out his feelings. He knew since Jimmy's mom had left and his dad put every ounce of his mind, body, and soul to the restaurant he had a hard time coming to terms with his emotions. Zeke thought maybe if his feelings for Tina were sorted out, perhaps he'd feel a bit more at ease. Besides… Zeke wanted to make sure he did in fact like Tina, so the brunette would know whether or not it was actually okay to make a move. It most certainly was not; besides, it isn't as if he has a chance with her, anyway. He sees the way Tina looks at Jimmy without him noticing. But, he also sees the way Jimmy looks at Tina without her noticing.

The way his eyes linger over her face, his eyes flicking to her lips. Zeke noticed, because he often times caught himself doing the same thing, which he constantly chastised himself for. It was part of the bro code-he couldn't just waltz up and try to snag Tina away. Not that he would ever succeed in taking her away from Jimmy; just the thought itself was practically laughable. Now, he still sat across from him, but his occasional sip from his Pepsi can became less and less frequent.

"Ya gonna go see her? In the hospital, I mean."

Jimmy sighed in response, trailing a finger over the rim of his can. "I…guess. I want to. She's my friend, Zeke. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't go see her? She might think I don't care. And, I do. I care. I want her to be alright…" He swallowed a knot in his throat, hoping Zeke didn't notice.

"I don't know if my dad would let me, though." Jimmy slunk down in his seat, eyes closed, head facing upwards as if the ceiling was the most important thing in the world, even if he wasn't really looking at it. "Do you think Tina's parents would drive me, if my dad says no?"

Zeke mulled over the idea before answering, fingering his jaw. "Well… her dad hates ya pretty bad." Jimmy began to slink further into his seat, just wanting this all to be over, wanting to hang out with Tina again, wanting that truck that hit her to explode. "But," Zeke interrupted Jimmy's destructive train of thought, "her mom seems pretty cool. I bet if her daddy says no, her mom'll say, Heck yeah, why not?"

Jimmy sat up straighter but kept his eyelids shut.

"You're probably right."

"I know it." Jimmy finally opened his eyes and met Zeke's.

"Can I… ask a favor of you?"

"Sure thing, J-Ju. Whatdya need?"

Jimmy toyed with his fingers under the table. "If-If I do end up having to ask her mom to take me to the hospital, can you… vouch for me? Like, be my alibi? If my dad asks, I'm at your house. Okay?"

Zeke blinked but shook his head. "'A course." He agreed, giving his friend a grin. "Anything for you, J-Ju. Don't even worry about it." Jimmy sighed with relief.

To get off the subject of Tina they sort of made small talk, but the girl was on both of their minds, twisting both of their bellies and squeezing at both of their hearts. After about twenty minutes Jimmy's head perked up and he stood so fast that the chair fell away beneath him. "Sorry," he rushed, though he didn't seem very sorry as he hurried out the door, leaving Zeke with a puzzled look on his face and confusion clouding his mind.

"J-Ju?"

 **A.N. These chapters are so… not at all corresponding with one another length wise, and I'm sorry if that annoys anyone because it sure as hell annoys me. It's just, like I mentioned a few chapters before when I first wrote this I didn't break it up into chapters because I didn't think I'd be posting it here. It was all just one big story so now I'm going through and deciding where one chapter should end and the next begin and… blah.**

 **But anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this installment. In case you couldn't tell I enjoy writing about J-Ju internally struggling over his fondness of Tina and Zeke having to not encroach in on "his girl". I don't know, there's just something about that dynamic that I really like. Maybe it's the helpless romantic teenage girl in me coming through. Who knows. Sorry if any characters seem OOC, but I'm trying to make them as… correct, I suppose, as possible.**

 **Please R &R, and have a great day!**


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